PATTERN OF THYROID PROFILE WITH ADVANCING AGE IN SOUTH BENGAL: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Dr. Debdeep Dasgupta; Dr. Anish Bhowmik

Volume : VIII, Issue : III, March - 2019

PATTERN OF THYROID PROFILE WITH ADVANCING AGE IN SOUTH BENGAL: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Dr. Debdeep Dasgupta, Dr. Anish Bhowmik

Abstract :

Marked changes in thyroid hormone production, metabolism and action occur with increasing age. Increased prevalence of (subclinical) thyroid disease in the elderly and various morphological and functional changes of the thyroid gland during ageing process are well–known. In general, clinical course of thyroid diseases in the elderly differs essentially from that observed in younger individuals, because symptoms are more subtle and are often attributed to normal ageing. This study has been carried out in a tertiary care hospital of South Bengal to determine the pattern of thyroid functioning along with advancing age. Thyroid profile (Serum levels of TSH, free T4, and free T3) was analyzed in selected 456 healthy, euthyroid population (within 21–80 years, further stratified into 6 consecutive decade–long age–groups). All three parameters varied significantly in elderly individuals as compared to young ones and were found to be of significantly decreased overall value in the males. Thus need for further exploration to set new standards of normal ranges of thyroid profile in the elderly of both sexes is suggested.